Wagons are wildly popular in Europe, and the new mandate at Cadillac is to design global vehicles—ergo North America will get a CTS Sport Wagon next spring.
General Motors chose the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for the world premiere of this extension of the popular CTS family.
Cadillac is now selling more CTS sedans than any other product in its lineup, says product director John Howell. “As we developed the CTS it became clear there were opportunities to do more than a sedan,” he says.
First to be confirmed was the 2011 CTS coupe, slated to begin production in the fall of 2009 but now pushed back to mid-2010. The wagon will beat the coupe to the punch when workers start building it later this summer at GM’s plant in Lansing, Michigan. Because the front end sheetmetal, powertrains, and interior are all shared, officials say there is manufacturing flexibility to switch the mix easily to meet demand of any one of these body styles.
The family wagon shares its 113.4-inch wheelbase with the sedan, but is actually a hair shorter overall. It offers 25 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats, accessible via a power liftgate. Fold the rear seats and that figure more than doubles, to 53 cubic feet. The “roof load management system” is designed to blend with the roofline and the center section of the roof panels actually angles down to hide the cross bars. Design director Dean Clay says the look was designed to create a subtle fin effect. If the nuance is lost on you, don’t worry, the important thing is that it does help disguise the roof rack.
Across the 2010 CTS line, the base engine will be upgraded from the port-fuel injected 3.6-liter V-6 to a new 3.0-liter direct-injection V-6, which musters up 270 hp and 223 lb-ft of torque, and is said to be capable of up to 28 mpg on the highway. The upmarket choice will continue to be GM’s direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 cranking out 304 horsepower. It likes regular unleaded gas and GM says it will match the sedan’s 26 mpg on the highway. While either engine is available with a manual in the sedan, the wagon will only be available with the automatic.
Once Again, Torquey Diesels Are Not For Us
A 250-hp, 2.9-liter turbo-diesel V-6 is being developed for Europe and Asia, but execs say there are no current plans to offer it in the U.S.
The wagon has available all-wheel drive, unique 19-inch wheels, and an optional larger panoramic sunroof.
For Dean, this is a way to stretch the language of Cadillac and the hope is the sleek, raked look; deep slivers of taillamps that extend from the roof to the bumper; the crease across the back; chrome accent line along the roof; and LED lighting will win the favor of those who have failed to appreciate wagons in the past. We gotta admit it’s striking, and the view of the rear is arguably one of its best features.
Howell admits it will be a bit of an experiment offering a wagon in the U.S.where the segment is about 30,000 strong, whereas it is expected to be a slam dunk in Europe where half of the mid-size vehicles sold there are wagons, to the tune of about 250,000 annually. But tastes are ever-evolving and buyers are always seeking something new, Dean says, noting the trends from minivans to SUVs to crossovers. Asked about the failure of the Dodge Magnum to catch on with buyers, leading to the decision to kill it, Dean says the Magnum was a very large car, with polarizing style. The CTS wagon is a size smaller, and shares the popular design of the rest of the CTS family. As for a CTS-V wagon, executives smile and say it is an option. (Please?)
Next-Gen SRX Also Coming Next Year
Expect the CTS Sport Wagon to begin right around $40,000, a small premium that company spokespeople promise will net buyers extra content as well as the additional storage space and style. This will be a busy year for Cadillac, as the 2010 SRX crossover will also debut, beating both the CTS coupe and wagon to market.
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